Chapter V

I take pictures; that's what I do. I take these pictures because I never get what I want, what I need. Anytime I'm happy, it goes away; it's taken away.

I lied to Takkun, the name isn't for short…I need a Takkun in my life; Takkun makes me happy. It doesn't matter who or what Takkun is…I just want to be happy. But Haru-san is going to take Takkun away from me again, I know it. Why? Doesn't she want Mamimi to be happy? Does she hate Mamimi? Should Mamimi hate Haru-san too? Why did she come back just as Mamimi was feeling happy?

I take pictures to keep what I want; I took out my camera and pointed it at Takkun. I couldn't see him, the smoke was too thick, but I could see something moving to me. I pointed my camera at that and I kept clicking and clicking, taking pictures of the Takkun-like figure coming towards me, hoping he wouldn't go away. I want to be happy! Then, I realized, the smoke would probably mess up all my pictures. It would cover Takkun in the pictures, just like it was now. It told me I couldn't keep Takkun. Haru-san was here to take Takkun away because Mamimi wanted Takkun to keep her happy.

Then I figured it out…

As long as Haru-san was here, Mamimi could never be happy.

…

Something had come out of Takkun's head a few moments ago…and disappeared just as quickly as it had come. It was creepy, but it looked a lot like Canti-sama. Yet, I knew it wasn't. This God of the Black Flame looked different, its colors were wrong. It looked like it was scared of something. I guessed it was probably scared of Haru-san, who was floating on her guitar just a couple of feet above me and Takkun.

She looked so scary, yelling at the now-gone Canti-sama-look-alike and floating up there. Her wild, cat-like eyes looked as though she was ready to kill, and that scared me. What was scariest about her, though, was that she looked exactly as she had years ago…19, she had said she was back then, and even though I was sure she was way older, she still looked it. I secretly hoped she would keep yelling at nothing and leave Takkun and me alone. For a while she did. By then, Takkun had already reached me and put his arm around me…He didn't say anything, though; his thoughts must have been on Haru-san at that point.

I had to get out of there. I felt like I was going to...overflow.

I pushed Takkun away and began to walk away, hoping he wouldn't notice me and continue to stare at Haru-san as she floated up there above us; he did. I kept walking until a familiar, scratchy voice called out to me and I froze dead in my tracks.

"Hey, Sameji, been a while, huh?" Haru-san yelled from way up above.

"Um, yeah…it has" I replied.

She jumped off her guitar and landed in a perfect flip right in front of me. Her guitar was still floating in the air. It looked funny up there all alone, defying all logic, gravity, and all that other stuff that I never bothered to pay attention to in high school when I actually attended it. Despite everything I felt inside, I still managed to giggle at that; Haru-san just looked at me weird.

"What've you," Haru-san began, "been up to, Sameji? Anything fun happen?" She was smiling now, the killer look in her eyes…gone. Just like that. I looked passed Haru-san at Takkun; he was still staring at where Haru-san had been and where her guitar still was. He looked mesmerized by it, and I wondered what was going on in his head right now. It was probably something pretty messy. The smoke seemed to cover everything but our surroundings now.

"No," I started, "nothing too fun. What about you, what've you been up to, Haru-san?"

She made the biggest grin I've ever seen a person - human or otherwise - make. She started laughing uncontrollably and finally answered, "This and that…this and that, y'know?" I didn't know, though, I didn't think I'd ever want to know. I looked back at Takkun, who had finally stopped staring at the floating guitar and was instead looking over at where Haru-san and I were. He started to get up. I wanted to go over there and take him somewhere else, somewhere where this smoke didn't obscure everything in sight…somewhere where Haru-san wasn't. Takkun was coming this way. Damn it!

"Haruko," he yelled, his voice sounding like there was something caught in his throat, "look at me, damn it!"

Haru-san ignored him; she acted almost like he didn't exist. I could see she was trying really hard not to turn around, her face showed that. Takkun kept walking this way; I couldn't do anything. Instead, I lit up a cigarette, adding smoke to the smoke…hoping that it would be enough to blind Takkun so he wouldn't reach us…too late.

"Haruko!"

She didn't answer him.

He was right next to her now, ignoring me.

He was shaking her now, yelling things like "where did you go?" And "was Atomsk's power really that important?" Finally I could see tears forming in his eyes; his shakes began to become more weak until finally he stopped altogether.

"Hey," Haru-san started weakly, it was almost a whisper, "how's it goin', Takkun?"

"Don't treat me like a kid, Haruko! I'm not one anymore!"

Takkun wasn't crying anymore, he looked just like Haru-san had when she was up in the sky yelling at the robot that came out of Takkun's head. He was starting to scare me. I tried to say something, but couldn't. It was almost like something was trying to make sure I didn't interrupt. I just hunched down, cigarette in hand, and leaned against the iron-shaped factories' wall.

"You've grown, Takkun."

"No really? It's been years since you left! It's only natural…unlike you."

"How are Kamon and the old guy?"

"Answer my questions, damn it! Please…"

"I want to go see if the place is still the same."

"What?"

"You still got the bunks, Takkun? I'm going to be here a while. Hey, Sameji, come on, let's go, okay?"

Haru-san whistled and her guitar flew right to her. Takkun was still in a daze, and he was sweating really badly. I just stood up and followed Haru-san…it seemed like my body had a mind of its own. I wanted to wait for Takkun, but my body wouldn't listen. I took the cigarette out of my mouth and threw it on the grass, not bothering to put it out. Hopefully, it would burn the place down.

Quickly, I took my camera out and took a picture of the still lit cigarette lying on the floor.

….

I take pictures...I take pictures of things I really want.